Exposed
by Kirsten-B
Summary: What if Pete needed more time to throw of his restraints in Duplicity...?
1. Chapter One

Exposed  
  
Chapter One  
  
Clark closed his eyes. The liquid Hamilton had wanted to inject to Pete was definitely distilled from green meteor rocks. Clark didn't need to see the colour of the substance to distinguish that. He felt it in every cell of his body.  
  
He was lying at the floor, where he had collapsed, when the liquid from the broken syringe had dropped onto his bare skin. Pete, still tied up halfway, was crying out for him.  
  
"Clark, what's up?"  
  
Knowing he didn't need to hide the reason for his usually seemingly random sickness from his best friend anymore, Clark struggled to explain.  
  
"It's the meteors. I'm allergic."  
  
Pete knew instantly, that he had to get Clark out of Hamiltons barn. Unfortunately the crazy scientist had heard Clarks words as well. And he had immediately made the connection.  
  
"The Spaceship. It's yours.Open it!"  
  
Clark winced. Hamilton stood leaning over him. In one hand he held a bottle filled with the green liquid. Pete was still struggling with his ties. No help to be expected from there.  
  
Clark tried to say something, but he couldn't get the words out with meteor- essence so near. He fought to get control of his limbs again, feeling as week as a baby. Cramps raced through his body, immobilising him.  
  
"Clark!" Pete cried. His hands were free, only his feet were still caught.  
  
"Leave him alone!" He demanded of the strongly shivering man.  
  
He had seen it before, the way he shook, like had Clark. With Earl Jenkins, who had taken some of Clarks classmates hostage to prove that there existed a secret level at the Luthorcorp Fertilizer Plant on which experiments with meteor fragments had been exercised.  
  
Clark had been able to save his friends, including Lex Luthor, and provided Earl, an old friend of the Kent family, with the help he obviously needed urgently.  
  
Hamilton now turned to Pete, grinning wildly.  
  
"I knew you didn't just say it. I knew it. Now the world will have to believe me. Believe that I'm not a freak. I can present them the freak now, the alien."  
  
His voice nearly broke from emotion. Pete winced, not only because of the pained sound of Hamiltons voice, but also from his best friend being called a freak, an alien.  
  
Coming to think of it, Pete had actually never thought of Clark as any of those. He had just been hurt, that Clark hadn't told him from the beginning. blaming Clark of having no trust in him.  
  
He saw his best friend on the floor, struggling to stay conscious, obviously in pain. His best friend who had shown him, that he was invincible and unbelievably strong. A friend he had betrayed by telling his enemy, that he actually knew of his existence. The friend that now desperately needed his help, or would maybe even die, if not worse.  
  
Hamilton let some of the liquid drop onto Clark, who suddenly screamed. Pete closed his eyes to hold back his tears. He cursed the damn ties that still kept him from helping Clark. He looked around, hoping to find a knife or something similar. All he could see were shards of glass from the broken syringe. These would have to do.  
  
Clark only saw blurs. He knew where the pain came from, but his mind didn't process his thoughts into his body. He fought against the darkness, but he eventually lost.  
  
Pete saw Clarks body go limp. Whether his alien friend was unconscious or worse, he couldn't tell. The only thing he knew, was that he didn't have time. With one hand he feverishly proceeded to cut the pretty thick rope Hamilton had tied him with. Suddenly his feet were free and Pete was on his feet in a millisecond. Hamilton knelt next to Clark checking his body. Hamilton still shook, but concentration seemed to lessen it a bit.  
  
Pete searched for something he could use as a weapon. When he turned back to see what Hamilton was doing, he stared onto a triggered gun. A very shaking gun. The chance not to be hit wasn't bad, but at that proximity Pete wasn't sharp on trying the odds.  
  
Hamilton wouldn't let him go away. Still, Clark really needed help, so he definitely needed to get away. Pete dove for the door, hoping, the shaking would prevent Hamilton from aiming precisely. It did, almost. Pete felt a searing pain in his shoulder. The impact overwhelmed him and he collapsed to the floor. For a moment he was dazed, trying to see clear.  
  
He heard footsteps behind him and considered his opportunities. Hamilton came to check, whether he was dead or not. Option one was to attack Hamilton the moment he leaned over Pete - if he did. Option two was to play dead, hoping that Hamilton bought it.  
  
At short range Pete chose the second option, simply because he didn't know where the gun was. It could well be triggered at his head. Hamilton checked his pulse. Pete couldn't imagine, that the scientist would even feel the pulse of a giant with those shivers. Still, there suddenly was a glance of hope.  
  
Hamilton seemed to be satisfied. He grabbed Petes collar and pulled him out of the barn, into the field. There he left Pete. Normally nobody would find a body there in weeks. Very fortunately Pete wasn't a body yet. He scrambled to his feet and headed for the road.  
  
End of Chapter One 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two  
  
Martha and Jonathan Kent were waiting. They were doing this a lot these days. Especially now that Clark knew, what he was capable of and felt responsible for everyone's wellbeing.  
  
Someone knocked at the front door. Jonathan got up from the table, where he and his wife had been sitting over a hot chocolate milk. It was late already. Too late for visitors. No one came out to the Kent Farm without a good reason.  
  
Jonathan smiled as he opened the door. Nobody but Chloe Sullivan. And this time, she hadn't come alone. Lana Lang was with her. Jonathan inwardly shook his head. Clark would be very disappointed that he had missed the pretty dark haired girl.  
  
"Chloe, nice to see you. Isn't it a bit late for a visit?" He asked the blond haired teenager, who as always carried her camera with her. Chloe smiled sheepishly.  
  
"I know Mr. Kent. It's just, that we had an appointment with Clark at the Talon, for one of those papers, and he didn't show up, you know?" She shrugged, as if this would explain it all.  
  
"Now, we just thought, he might have forgotten it." Lana said, her smile genuine. Jonathan nodded.  
  
"I guess you're right. He was planning on looking for Pete when we last saw him. They probably forgot time. You know, they had kind of a dispute."  
  
Chloe nodded understanding. Lana sighed.  
  
"It is really hard for Clark to fight with Pete. Do you know, why they argued?" Jonathan read genuine concern in Lanas face. Sadly he shook his head, lying to the girls.  
  
"I'm sorry. Clark didn't want to talk about it. He said it was a thing between men."  
  
As Chloe nodded approvingly, Jonathan guessed, that Clark had said something similar to his curious friend. He suppressed a sigh, since he knew how much Clark hated lying.  
  
"Mr. Kent?"  
  
A voice from down the driveway caught his attention. He knew the voice but couldn't put a face with it. Chloe and Lana spun around, trying to find out, who was there. Jonathan saw the figure first.  
  
A person was lying on the ground, at approximately fifty feet distance. He stormed down the porch and within seconds kneeled next to an exhausted Pete.  
  
"Jesus, Pete, what happened? Clark's been looking for you the whole evening?"  
  
Jonathan checked Petes pulse and sighed, when it was relatively strong and steady.  
  
"Clark needs help. I had to leave him behind.."  
  
As soft as Petes voice was, Jonathan felt like he had screamed.  
  
"What do you mean, Pete? Where is Clark?"  
  
Pete tried to sit up, but failed.  
  
"Hamiltons barn. The Spaceship. Meteor rocks.gun"  
  
Petes breath was short so he reduced the information to the minimum. Jonathan felt the warm liquid that clung on the boys clothes.  
  
"You're injured. Let us get you to the hospital."  
  
Jonathan got to his feet, turning and realising, that Chloe and Lana had overheard their conversation. Both stared at him, shocked.  
  
He had to digest at least Chloe, the wannabe reporter, from the means of the Spaceship.  
  
"Chloe, you got your car?" She nodded hesitatingly.  
  
"Good. Get him into town. He needs medical treatment. I'll go looking for Clark."  
  
Jonathan headed for the truck, followed closely by Lana.  
  
"Lana, what are you doing?" Jonathan asked, when Lana climbed onto the passenger seat. She smiled.  
  
"I'm coming with you. You might need a hand, sir."  
  
Jonathan knew, he mustn't take her with him, too dangerous for both the girl and Clarks secret. Anyway, Lana didn't seem to be willing to leave the car again. Jonathan started the engine and sped away.  
  
End of Chapter Two 


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three  
  
Clark came to, slowly. He felt the pain still searing through his body, but at least he could think clearly again. At least halfway.  
  
He was laying flat on his back. When he tried to move, he realised that his hands and feet were restrained. This was a problem, since he was anywhere near his normal strength.  
  
He tried to break free anyway, but the second he began to pull at his ties the hurt increased. Clark checked his surroundings finally recognising the crazy scientist he had kept from killing Pete.  
  
"Finally waking up, Sleeping Beauty?"  
  
Hamilton held the bottle in his hands bringing more distance between the two of them. He shook badly again.  
  
"You can't keep me here forever. Someone will start looking for me."  
  
Clark whispered, not able to do more. The damned meteors prevented him from escape, once again.  
  
Hamilton only laughed.  
  
"You're my ticked to fame. I already arranged your transport. Nobody will find you, where you're going."  
  
He placed the bottle on a table next to him, but still to close for Clark.  
  
"I will have the opportunity to experiment on your body, to find out ways of projecting your abilities to help mankind."  
  
Hamilton looked dreamily at Clark, obviously picturing himself with the Nobel price.  
  
Clarks throat was tight. All his life his parents had warned him, that this could happen. All his life he had feared this day. Then.  
  
"Where's Pete?" He cried. Hamilton shrugged nonchalantly.  
  
"He won't be an obstacle anymore. I took care of him."  
  
He raised the gun and smiled devilishly. Clark closed his eyes, trying to keep breathing. Did Hamiltons words mean, that he had killed Pete? Had he shot him and taken care of the body already?  
  
When he opened his eyes again Hamilton was leaning over him. Clark started, wrinkling his nose at Hamiltons sweaty smell. He was holding a scalpel over his left arm, trying to cut his victim. Clark felt a throb, but he knew, his skin couldn't be penetrated by the sharp knife.  
  
Hamilton frowned thoughtfully. He turned to the table and grabbed the bottle. Clark screamed when the bottle was placed right next to his head, beginning to lose his awareness again.  
  
Hamilton filled another syringe with the liquid and put the bottle back to the table. Clarks rapid breathing calmed again but he looked at the syringe with fear.  
  
Hamilton tried to inject the fluid to him, but his skin didn't break. Hamilton cursed, then pushed the syringe and some drops fell onto Clarks arm.  
  
Again Clark screamed, even though he did not wanted to. The green liquid entered his skin and made it prickle painfully. Hamilton tried to cut him again, this time with success.  
  
Dark red blood flowed from Clarks arm. He looked at it dazedly, shocked, for he had not seen his own blood before. At least not at such extent.  
  
"Don't." he managed to stutter, before he felt consciousness leaving again.  
  
End of Chapter Three 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four  
  
Jonathan had wanted Lana to stay in the car. She refused. She had said, she would cover his back.  
  
He realised the sense of it, but he had a bad feeling about what would await them inside the barn. The doors weren't locked, not even properly closed. What if they were too late and Clark had been moved already?  
  
Jonathan heard a voice, cursing loudly. Alarmed he opened the door of the barn and silently moved in. Lana followed him carefully, observing the surroundings of the interior. A coloured man, obviously Dr. Hamilton, stood at the far end of the barn, leaning over someone laying on a stretcher.  
  
All Jonathan needed to see were blue flannels and he went into attack mode. Hamilton was doing something to Clark. He wouldn't let him.  
  
Lana wanted to keep Jonathan from storming over. On the contrary to her friends father she had not forgotten Petes mentioning of a gun. She watched Jonathan come to sudden halt, as a bullet hit the ground in front of him.  
  
Hamilton had turned, a syringe in one hand and the gun in the other. He triggered it at Jonathan, who looked as if he was willing to kill. She also saw, the Clark was seemingly unconscious. At least he didn't move or realise help was on its way. She knelt behind the tables, hoping that Hamilton hadn't seen her.  
  
That was obviously not the case. He only gestured Jonathan to the far end of the barn, where he could see him. In his hand he now held a pair of handcuffs. Jonathan growled like a mad dog at the man, but even in this state of mind he realised, that he couldn't help or protect his son, if he was dead.  
  
Hamilton threw the cuffs at Jonathan, who caught them by reflex.  
  
"Chain yourself to the post, Kent. No wrong move, or I'll shoot your son."  
  
By threatening Clarks life instead of his fathers Hamilton gained full co- operation. Seeing the blood on Clarks arm, Jonathan knew, that the essence of meteor rocks made Clark extremely vulnerable.  
  
"Give up, Hamilton. A lot of people know, where I was headed. You cannot get away."  
  
Even Lana could hear the despair in Jonathan's voice.  
  
She looked out for something solid. She found a small post, obviously from a shattered table. Silently she creeped up to Hamiltons back and hit the post with all her strength over his head.  
  
He cried, falling against the stretcher and then collapsing to the floor. Before Lana could prevent it, the bottle of green liquid tumbled from the table next to him and crashed beside his head. The green liquid sizzled and immediately vanished on his skin.  
  
She stepped over the rocking man on the floor and felt for Clarks pulse. Relieved she smiled at Jonathan.  
  
"He's alive."  
  
Jonathan sighed. Since he had closed the handcuffs around his wrists, he couldn't come over to check for himself.  
  
"Can you please free me? We have to get him out."  
  
Lana considered searching Hamiltons clothes for the key but decided against. She didn't know, whether he would come to again. The risk was to high.  
  
She grabbed his gun instead and moved over to Jonathan. He watched her warily. She told him to hold his wrists apart, so she could shoot the chain. It always worked at the movies. She didn't care for the sceptic expression at Jonathan's face.  
  
She aimed, pulled the trigger, and Jonathan was free. He grinned, feeling like a moviestar and sped over at his sons side.  
  
"Clark! Can you hear me? Everything's going to be alright. I'm bringing you home."  
  
Lana watched father and son. He loosened the restraints that held Clark and cradled him in his arms. Lana followed them both out, for the first time seeing the little spaceship in the corner. She held her breath as Jonathan approached it.  
  
Jonathan showed no reaction. He didn't care for the spaceship. Clark was more important now. He had been seriously polluted with the green liquid. Otherwise he couldn't have been hurt.  
  
Outside the barn he watched out for a basin of some kind. There had to be a water supply. When he didn't find one, he called for Lana. She had followed him out of the barn without him realising it.  
  
She looked at Clark questioningly. Jonathan put him down.  
  
"We need to wash him."  
  
Jonathan said. Lana seemed irritated. For her the most important thing seemed to clean and treat his wound. But she didn't feel like arguing with the worried father. He knew his son best.  
  
She returned to the barn, finding Hamilton badly shaking. He rocked at the floor, then suddenly he was still, his body going limp. She assumed, that he was dead. But she didn't really care.  
  
In the corner with the spaceship she found a hose. Outside she soon found the fitting water supply. When she returned to Clark and his father, the young man had been stripped off his clothes and only had his boxers on. He still was out of it.  
  
Jonathan took the hose and started splashing water at his son. Lana thought that it was pretty cold water, but at least that was hopefully going to wake him. It took several moments until Clark finally moved. He groaned and tried to open his eyes.  
  
"Sh, Clark. It's alright. You're safe."  
  
Lana knelt next to him, as Jonathan stopped splashing water at him. Clark opened his eyes and met hers. She smiled, glad, that he was okay. Jonathan watched them from the distance and smiled, giving in to fate. There was no way, the girl would by any of their favourite lies.  
  
"He killed Pete." Clark whispered, close to tears. Lana hugged him, not caring that her clothes became wet and soiled.  
  
"Don't worry, Clark. Pete will be fine. Chloe brought him to the hospital. He escaped the mad man."  
  
Clark turned, recognised his father, who nodded and then relaxed. He was exhausted, his strength still not returning, because some of the liquid had gotten in to his blood. He assumed that it would take him some time to regain his powers..  
  
He looked up at Lana again and saw real concern. He saw doubt there as well. She had been guessing at his secret for weeks, and his lies were just that: lies. He had never been good at lying. Even though he had been doing so all his life.  
  
"Dad, don't you think this is a good time for the truth?"  
  
Jonathan sighed again, loudly.  
  
"Yes, Clark. I don't think there will be a better one."  
  
The End 


End file.
